


It Started With Spilled Coffee

by DarkAliceLilith



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, M/M, Single Parent AU, side pairing - Raphael/Simon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-09
Updated: 2018-05-09
Packaged: 2019-05-04 11:05:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14591679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkAliceLilith/pseuds/DarkAliceLilith
Summary: When single parent Magnus Bane walked into Java Jace's one morning, he wasn't looking for a relationship. Then he ran into Alec Lightwood, literally.





	It Started With Spilled Coffee

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LadyMatt](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyMatt/gifts).



> I want to thank [puppyfacedbrokenwarriors](http://puppyfacedbrokenwarriors.tumblr.com/) for looking this over for me.
> 
> I am pretty nervous to post this, it was a difficult and different fic for me to write. I tried to incorporate as much things as my giftee liked into this, so I hope it doesn't sound too jumbled. I hope you enjoy!

“Okay, we’re getting our coffees and then we’re leaving,” Magnus said, holding the door to the Java Jace’s open for Raphael. “As in we’re not spending fifteen minutes here so you can talk to Sheldon.”

Raphael gave a heavy sigh. “Simon. His name is Simon, and I didn’t plan on staying to talk to him—besides, I don’t think he even works today.”

“And here I thought you didn’t have a crush on him,” Magnus chuckled. 

“He’s just a friend.”

“Sure, sure,” Magnus said, making his way up to the counter and smiling at Clary. “Ah, there’s my favorite barista. How are you doing today?”

“Just fine, Magnus, thank you,” Clary replied. “Let me finish these and I’ll be right there to take your order.”

“Take your time, Biscuit,” he said, looking around the nearly empty store. “Not a lot of people here today.”

“Unfortunately that new shop has taken most of our business,” Clary said, handing out the drinks and walking over to the register. “But once their grand opening specials are done, then I’m sure everyone will come flooding back in again. So what can I get for you today, Magnus?”

“Green tea latte,” Magnus replied. “And whatever Raphael wants.”

“My usual please.”

“Simon will be so sad when he hears you came while he’s on break.”

“I thought he didn’t work today?”

“The new boy quit after a week, so Simon agreed to work today,” Clary replied. “He should be back in about ten minutes.”

“I, uh–”

Magnus rolled his eyes and made his way to the other end of the counter. “Just ask him out already, will you?”

Raphael turned and glared at Magnus. “Will you stop?”

“Not anytime soon, I’m afraid,” Magnus said, pulling out his phone as it buzzed and frowning. “We’ll need to make a stop at Dot’s at some point today; Stella lost her voice and needs me to make a remedy for her.”

“She’s out of town until Tuesday,” Clary said. “But my mom has a spare key to her shop.”

“Ah yes, I forgot about that,” Magnus said, frowning. “No worries, Dot also gave me a key in case I need something. We’ll just have to stop home so I can grab it.”

“Magnus, why don’t I just go home and get it? Then I can meet up with you at the shop?”

“I suppose that would work,” he said, accepting his drink from Clary and taking a sip. “Thank you, Clary, and tell your mom I said hello.”

“I will. Thanks for stopping by, Magnus,” she said, handing Raphael’s coffee over to him. 

“I’ll head out, this should give you time to say hello to Samuel.”

Raphael sighed. “Simon.”

“Yeah, Stephen.”

Raphael just shook his head. “I’ll send you a text when I get the key. It’ll be in your office, right?”

Magnus nodded, making his way towards the door. “It should be in the desk somewhere.” His focus being on Raphael, he didn’t notice someone else was walking in until they collided, his coffee being squished between them and spilling down the front of his shirt. 

He stood there in shock, hearing Raphael trying to hide his laughter. He blinked a couple of times and looked up at the well-dressed man in front of him who looked embarrassed. “I am so, so sorry,” the man said.

Magnus knew he needed to respond, but he found himself stunned by the man in front of him. He was absolutely gorgeous, and his blue dress shirt, which looked amazing on him, was now covered in Magnus’ tea and sticking to his toned chest. Once his brain rebooted a few seconds later, he just shook his head and smiled. “No worries, it’s my fault; I wasn’t paying attention,” Magnus said, walking towards the napkins and dabbing at his shirt, trying his best not to stare at the man.

“At least let me buy you a new one.”

Magnus laughed. “Like I said it was my fault, I’ll buy you one instead.”

The man’s cheeks dusted pink and Magnus found himself smiling. “I–uh–thank you.”

Magnus turned back towards Clary, not missing Raphael pretending to gag. “Two new coffees please, Biscuit.” He turned back towards the man and held out his hand. “I haven’t properly introduced myself. I’m Magnus.”

“Alec.”

“Will you be getting your usual, Alec?” Clary asked from behind the counter and Alec nodded in response.

“So, you come here often then?”

“My brother owns the shop,” Alec replied. “So I get my coffee here.”

“That’s sweet of you.”

Alec smiled. “Thank you. I hate to cut this short, but I need to change before my meeting.” He held his hand out towards Magnus again. “Perhaps I’ll see you again?”

Magnus smiled and shook Alec’s hand again. “I think I would like that,” Magnus replied. “Enjoy your coffee, and sorry again.”

“It’s okay. Goodbye, Magnus. It was nice meeting you,” he said, accepting the coffee from Clary before walking towards the door. He stopped and looked over his shoulder at Magnus, smiling. “Next time, I’ll buy you coffee.”

Magnus laughed softly. “Okay.”

As soon as the door closed, Raphael made a gagging noise. “Really, Magnus?”

“Oh hush, at least now you know how I feel about seeing you with my future son in law,” Magnus said, walking over to the counter to pay for the new coffees but Clary waved him off.

“Don’t worry about it,” Clary said. “He just gets a black coffee anyways.”

Magnus sighed and dug out a five dollar bill, setting it down on the counter. “Then at least take a tip.”

Clary nodded, slipping the bill into her pocket. She leaned against the counter with a mischievous grin. “Oh, and I happen to know he’s single.”

“I’m sorry?”

“Alec? He’s Isabelle’s big brother.”

“No wonder he looked so familiar,” Magnus mused. “Well, I need to get back home and change since I am now covered in coffee. You don’t have to worry about getting the key anymore, Raphael, I’ll meet you at Dot’s.”

With one last thank you and a goodbye to Clary Magnus walked out the door and could see Alec hailing down a cab. He stood back for a moment and watched him disappear into the car before smiling softly to himself and turning towards home. It wasn’t often that he met someone who immediately captured his attention like Alec did and he hoped he saw him again. 

A week passed and Magnus had nearly forgotten his run in with the attractive stranger until he saw him again in the bookstore owned by a friend of his. He was glancing through the Mythology section when he heard the bell above the door ding followed by the excited squeal of a little kid. He looked up to see the man he had spilled his coffee on being tugged towards the kid’s section by a girl who looked around five. 

He put the book he had been looking through back on the shelf and peeked around the corner to see the man better. The little girl was clapping and looking up at Alec. “Alec, Alec, what can I get?”

Alec knelt down to her level and instructed, “Madzie, you can have up to three new books today.”

“Three?”

Alec nodded, holding up three fingers. “Three books.”

Madzie threw her arms around Alec and hugged him quickly before running to one of the shelves and looking through the books. Alec watched her for a few minutes with a fond smile on his face before he stood up, catching sight of Magnus. His cheeks flushed and he glanced around, scratching the back of his head. “Oh, uh, hi. Magnus, right?”

Magnus smiled and nodded. “Is that your niece?"

“My daughter.”

Magnus looked surprised for a moment before smiling. “She’s adorable.”

“Thanks,” Alec said, looking at Madzie again. “She loves reading so I try to take her out to buy a new book every week, but work has prevented me from doing so the past few weeks, so we haven’t been able to go until today.”

“What do you do?”

“I’m an event planner, and I teach self defense classes with my sister on the weekends.”

“Oh, that sounds very interesting.”

“It can be. So, what about you?”

Magnus smiled. “I’m a club owner, but I like to keep busy so I like to dabble with other things in my spare time.”

“So you’re a man of many talents?”

Magnus’ smile widened. “I guess you could say that.”

“Alec!”

Alec looked down at Madzie as she held up three books. “These are the ones you want this time, Madzie?” Madzie nodded, letting Alec look them over before handing them back over to her. “Let’s go pay for them and then we’ll be on our way to Grandma’s, okay?” 

As he ushered Madzie towards the cash register Alec looked up at Magnus again. “It was nice seeing you again.”

“You too, Alec.” The two started to walk away before Magnus called out. “Wait.”

Alec stopped and turned towards Magnus again. “Yes?”

“Do you think I could perhaps have your phone number?” Magnus asked, pulling his phone out of his pocket.

Alec smiled, a faint blush appearing on his cheeks as he accepted Magnus’ phone and typed his number in before handing it back. “I can’t promise that I’ll text back right away, but feel free to text anytime.”

“I will. Goodbye, Alec, and goodbye, Madzie.”

Madzie looked up at Magnus with wide eyes before hiding behind Alec. Alec frowned. “I’m sorry, she’s not that good with meeting new people.”

“Oh, it’s alright. I hope to see you again soon, Alec,” Magnus said, giving him a soft smile. “I would love to get to know you better.”

Alec nodded. “I would like that too.” He took Madzie’s hand and they started towards the register again. “Goodbye, Magnus.” 

Magnus sighed softly as he watched them disappear around the corner, a smile still on his face as he went back to looking for a new book. He had a feeling that this was the start of a new adventure for him.

—————

“Oh no. I know that look,” Ragnor said, sitting down across from Magnus. Magnus looked up at him, having spaced out as he waited for his friend to arrive.

“What look?”

“The look you get when you’ve met someone new. So, who are they?”

“His name is Alec,” Magnus replied. “And this is not what we came here to talk about.”

“Of course it is!” Ragnor said. “I haven’t been back to New York for over a year, Magnus, it’s time for us to catch up, and meeting someone counts.”

Magnus rolled his eyes and took a sip of his wine. “Well, I’ve only just met him a few weeks ago when I accidently spilt my coffee all over him.”

Ragnor laughed. “Only you would manage to get a number after spilling your coffee on someone.”

“Actually, I didn’t get his number until a week later when I ran into him again at the bookstore with his daughter.”

“And he’s a dad? This already sounds like it would work out better than the last ones,” Ragnor commented. He quickly ordered a glass of wine from the waitress and asked for a few more minutes to order before addressing Magnus again as he looked through his menu. “It’s been such a deal breaker for you in the past.”

Magnus frowned as he thought of some of his unfortunate partners. “And now I don’t have to worry about his reaction to meeting Raphael—well maybe, in all honestly, they don’t look that far apart in age.”

Ragnor laughed again. “I’m sure it will be just fine, Magnus. I hope it goes well for you, my friend.”

“Me too,” Magnus said. “Now enough about me. How has London been?”

“I’ve been thinking of a plot for my new novel,” Ragnor replied. “And I was thinking a romance this time.”

“A romance? But Ragnor, you’re one of the best fantasy writers out there!”

“I know, but I thought I’d try something new,” Ragnor replied. “And I’ve written romance into my books before, it was just never the focus. I thought about putting it under a pseudonym though, just to test the waters and if it doesn’t work I’ll go back to just fantasy.”

Magnus reached out and took his friend’s hand. “Whatever you decide to do, I’m sure you’ll be fantastic.”

Ragnor smiled. “Thank you, Magnus, and I’ll make sure you get the first copy as always.”

“Don’t forget about Raphael. He’d be devastated if you didn’t get him a copy.”

Ragnor laughed. “Of course, you and Raphael will be the first to read my new book.”

On his way home from dinner with Ragnor, Magnus felt his phone vibrate and smiled once he saw Alec’s name on his screen. He had text Alec for the first time the previous day, asking him if he was interested in getting a bite to eat with him sometime and Alec finally responded. 

_I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to respond. How does lunch this Friday sound? Perhaps the place we met? They have some great sandwiches there._

Magnus responded with, _Friday sounds perfect. I’ll see you then._ before smiling and looking out the window of the cab he was riding in, looking forward to his date with Alec.

The days leading up to the date passed in a blur. Magnus split his time between managing his club, helping his friend Elliot with the opening of his new shop and visiting the hospital where his friend Catarina worked to perform magic shows for the kids to keep him from fretting over his date. 

Once Friday arrived, Magnus nervously waited at the Java Jace’s for Alec. It was nearing two thirty, and Alec had text him ten minutes prior to apologize and say he was going to be late. He sipped on his coffee and looked out the window, watching as people passed by. 

He was starting to think of texting Alec asking if he wanted to reschedule when the bell above the door dinged as it opened and Magnus looked up to see Alec walking in with Madzie in his arms. Alec looked around and smiled when his eyes landed on Madize. “I’m sorry. The day care closed early and everyone was busy so I had to bring Madzie with me. I hope that’s not a problem?”

Magnus returned the smile. “Of course not.” He waved at Madzie. “Hello, Madzie.” Her eyes widened and she hid her face in Alec’s shoulder. He just chuckled and looked back at Alec. “I wanted to wait for you before ordering food.”

“I really am sorry for being so late.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Magnus replied, standing up. “So I’ve only had the coffee here, what else is good?”

“All of it honestly,” Alec said, setting Madzie down as they walked towards the counter. “I really like the Super Bacon, but it’s all really good.”

Magnus looked up at the sandwich menu, tapping his fingers on the counter as he thought about what to get. Clary appeared after finishing up with another customer and Magnus smiled at her. “What would you suggest, Biscuit?”

“Biscuit?” Alec asked, glancing at Magnus.

“Oh, I’ve known Clary since she was a child,” Magnus replied. “I’m very good friends with her stepfather.”

“You know Luke and Jocelyn?”

Magnus nodded. “I do. I helped Jocelyn when she was starting her business.”

“I can’t believe we’re only now meeting for the first time.”

“I’ve always believed things happen in due time,” Magnus said, turning back towards Clary. “Go ahead and surprise me, Clary, and I’ll pay for their meal too.”

“Oh, you don’t have to do that.”

“It’s no bother,” Magnus said, stepping aside to let Alec order.

They returned to their seats once they had their orders and Madzie tugged on Alec’s arm. “Alec, can I have my coloring books?”

“Can you eat some of your sandwich first, please? And then I’ll let you have your coloring books.”

The little girl sighed. “Oh-kay..”

Magnus smiled as he watched the two interact. Alec seemed very sweet and it warmed Magnus’ heart. “So, you said that you were an event planner?”

Alec nodded. “Started my own business when I was twenty-two–which my parents absolutely hated, they wanted me to stay to join them at their law firm.”

“That does sound pretty risky.”

“It was, but with the support of my siblings and friends, I became very successful,” Alec said with a soft grin. “Besides, my parents are horribly conservative, and I couldn’t stand beside that. So, I left law school, took some business classes, and decided I wanted to be my own boss.”

“And what do they think of you now?”

“They’re still coming around,” Alec replied. “I think it’s mostly because I gave them their first and so far only grandchild so I’m sure they’ve put their opinions aside for the sake of a relationship with us. They even hired me to help them plan the Christmas party they threw at the firm last year, even if I did refuse to take their money.”

Magnus smiled. “Sounds like they just wanted what was best for you, as every parent does. I don’t always agree with Raphael’s choices, but I support him.”

“Raphael?”

“My adopted son,” Magnus replied. “Though he is much older than Madzie.”

“Teenager?”

Magnus shook his head. “He’s twenty-one. I became his legal guardian when he was fifteen.”

“No wonder you’ve been so understanding,” Alec said. “I haven’t done this very often, but the times I have, the moment I’ve mentioned that I have a daughter–”

“They’ve suddenly become uninterested,” Magnus finished with a frown. “I’ve been there too.”

“Alec?” Madzie pipped up, interrupting them.

“Yes, sweetie?”

“Can I have my coloring books now?”

Alec looked at her half-finished sandwich and nodded, reaching for the bag by his feet. He handed a Doc McStuffins coloring book and some crayons to her, the girl’s eyes going wide in excitement. “My new one!”

“Make sure to finish your sandwich while you color, okay?”

“Okay, Alec.”

Madzie suddenly looked up at Magnus, staring at him for a long moment before holding out a purple crayon towards him. “Do you like to color, mister?”

Magnus smiled softly at her. “I haven’t colored in many years.”

“Oh. Would you like to color with me?”

Magnus looked up at Alec who was sitting there looking surprised. The man nodded and Magnus smiled at Madzie again, accepting the crayon being held out. “I would love to.”

Madzie scooted the coloring book closer to Magnus, coloring on one side while Magnus began to color in the stuffed dragon on the page closest to him. “Do you like Doc, mister?”

“His name is Magnus, Madzie.”

“Do you like Doc, Mr. Magnus?”

“I’m sorry, I don’t watch it.”

“You should. It’s good.”

Alec chuckled softly. “Doc McStuffins is her favorite cartoon. Well, one of them. We watch a lot of Disney Jr.”

“There’s nothing wrong with Disney,” Magnus said. “Sometimes when I feel down, I watch Disney movies.”

“I have an entire shelf dedicated to Disney because of Madize,” Alec said. “I don’t even remember the last time I watched something that wasn’t animated. Not that I mind. I can usually get a lot of work done while she’s watching cartoons.”

“I didn’t get Raphael until he was fifteen, is it hard to run your own business and care for Madzie?”

“It was at first, but we found a routine that worked for us. I do take her to day care for three days a week, and usually someone else will watch her for the other four.”

“Do you go to school yet, Madzie?” 

“Nope, but I will next year!”

“Are you excited for that?”

Madize nodded. “Alec says that I’m going to his and Izzy’s old school.”

“I know an Izzy. That’s one of Clary’s best friends.”

“She’s my sister.”

“No wonder you looked so familiar when I first ran into you,” Magnus laughed, looking up at Alec. “Good looks must run in the family.” He gave Alec a wink and smiled when he blushed. “I like your sister. She’s a regular at my club; I usually see her with Clary.”

“Those two are almost inseparable,” Alec commented. “But Izzy is like a magnet. Everyone is drawn to her.”

Magnus smiled. “I’ve noticed.”

They spent half an hour more in the cafe, talking about anything that crossed their minds. It was surprisingly easy to talk to Alec, and with each new fact he learned about the other man, Magnus found himself falling for him more. He was funny, cute, and an absolute wonderful father to Madzie. 

It wasn’t until Alec got a call from his mother that they realized just how long they had been chatting for. 

Magnus helped Alec pack up Madzie’s things, the little girl tearing out one of the pages from her coloring book and handing it up to Magnus saying, “I like you, Mr. Magnus.”

Magnus chuckled softly and accepted the page. “I like you too, Madzie.”

As they walked outside, Alec turned to Magnus. “Do you think I can see you again?”

Magnus smiled at him and nodded. “Of course. I don’t remember the last time I’ve enjoyed myself like this on a first date.” He smiled down at Madzie. “And of course, Madzie coming made it just a bit better,” he said, giving her a pat on the shoulder and a tiny wink just for her. He looked back up at Alec. “You have a wonderful daughter, Alec, and you’re quite a catch yourself.”

Alec blushed and was silent for a moment before he leaned over and pressed a quick kiss to Magnus’ cheek. It was just a brush of Alec’s lips, but it was enough to make Magnus’ heart flutter. “I’ll text you later? Maybe next time I can take you to dinner?”

“I would like that. Goodbye, Alec. Goodbye, Madzie, he said with a small wave.

“Goodbye, Mr. Magnus.”

“You can call me ‘Magnus’, Madzie,” He said, smiling gently at her.

“Okay. Bye, Magnus.”

Alec picked Madzie up and waved at Magnus. “I’ll see you soon, Magnus.”

“See you soon.”

He watched Alec walk away, his hand coming up to touch the spot Alec had kissed him and his smile widened further. 

‘This one,’ Magnus thought as the two walked out of view. ‘I hope this one is it.’

“Oh no.”

Magnus turned around to see Raphael standing behind him with Simon by his side. “What?”

“You look smitten.”

“He’s a nice man, Raphael,” Magnus replied, his eyes flickering to Simon for a brief moment. “And I would hope that you will bring home a nice partner one day.”

Raphael's cheeks began to burn as he tugged on Simon’s arm, leading him towards the door to the cafe. “I’ll be home for dinner,” he mumbled, walking inside. Magnus watched them through the window for a moment before hailing a cab. 

As the weeks went by, Alec and Magnus mostly talked over text. Alec had gotten an influx of clients, making it hard for him for them to schedule a date. He started to get accustomed to Alec’s good morning texts, and the texts he would send before he went to bed wishing Magnus a good night.

Almost a month after their first date, Alec finally asked him out again, apologizing profusely for it being so long. Magnus just reassured him and suggested The Hunter’s Moon for drinks, and Alec agreed.

When Magnus walked into the bar, he immediately spotted Alec and made his way over, Alec smiling up at him as he approached. “Hey.”

“Hello, Alec,” he greeted, taking a seat across from him. “I didn’t keep you waiting long, did I?”

Alec shook his head. “I’ve only just gotten here myself.”

“You found a babysitter for tonight?”

“She’s spending the night with my mom,” Alec replied. “I’m sorry again for having to bring her on our first date.”

“Don’t be sorry about that, Alec, she’s your daughter. She’s not a nuisance, and she’s a very sweet girl.”

“I guess I’m still getting used to the idea of someone actually being interested in me despite having a kid.”

“Has it really been that rough?”

Alec gave a heavy sigh. “I didn’t come out until shortly after adopting Madzie. So I haven’t been on very many dates.”

Magnus reached over and placed his hand over Alec’s. “I haven’t had the best dating life either since Raphael, but after many, many failed relationships, I finally decided that if they don’t like the fact that I’m a father, then that is their problem and I’m going to move on.” He smiled softly at Alec, his thumb gently running along Alec’s hand. “Just be glad those dates you did have didn’t go too far, I unfortunately have been on that end and it isn’t pretty.”

Alec frowned. “I’m sorry. You seem like such a sweet guy, I don’t understand why people wouldn’t want to date you because you had a kid, and one that’s not even a child. Madzie is still a kid so that’s a little more understandable but–”

“Difference in age shouldn’t matter, Alec,” Magnus said. “You’re just as sweet and everyone who has turned you down because of your daughter didn’t deserve you in the first place.”

Alec looked surprised for a moment before he was smiling and intertwining his fingers with Magnus’. “I wish more people had that kind of attitude about kids.”

“I’ve always loved kids,” Magnus said. “I just–I could never have them. So to be able to adopt Raphael, it was one of the best days of my life. We may not be connected by blood, but he’s still my family.”

“Will I get to meet this Raphael soon?” Alec asked. “You’ve talked about him a lot, and I would like to meet him.”

Magnus smiled at Alec, feeling his heart flutter. “He’s spending the weekend visiting his sister, but why don’t you bring Madzie over sometime when he’s home? I can cook dinner and we can all get to know each other better?”

Alec nodded. “That sounds like a great idea.”

Maia walked over to their table, setting a drink down in front of each of them. “So, this is the man you’ve been talking about?” Maia asked Alec. “If I had known Magnus was your type, I would have introduced you years ago.”

“Just how many of the same people do we know, Alec?” Magnus chuckled and then asked Maia, “How are your classes going?”

“Just fine, Magnus, thank you,” Maia replied. “Raphael and I got paired up for a project so I’m sure you will be seeing plenty of me soon.”

“Your company is always welcomed,” Magnus said with a smile. “Thanks for the drinks, Maia.”

“You’re welcome. I need to get back to the bar. You boys enjoy your drinks and let me know if you need anything.”

“We will. Thank you, Maia,” Alec said.

As Maia walked away, Magnus turned towards Alec. “You and Maia are friends?”

Alec nodded. “We butted heads at first, but now she’s one of my best friends. Madzie absolutely adores her, it’s so cute when they’re together.”

Magnus smiled. “I can imagine.”

Alec took a swig of this drink. “Do you play pool?”

“Why?” A tiny sly smile curled on Magnus' lips. “Interested in getting your butt kicked?”

Alec gave a loud laugh. “Someone sounds sure of himself. It’s been a while since I’ve played, but I’m sure that I can give you a run for your money. So what do you say? Are you interested?”

Magnus stood up, holding a hand out towards Alec. “Loser buys the next round of drinks.”

Alec smiled and accepted Magnus’ hand. “That sounds fair to me.”

Partway through their first game, Alec leaned against the pool table, shaking his head and smiling as he watched Magnus play. Magnus straightened up after pocketing his third ball in a row and took a sip of his martini. “Starting to regret asking me to play pool yet?” 

“I like the competition,” Alec replied, stepping closer to Magnus. “And the company.”

Magnus’ smile widened and he looked away as he felt himself blush. When he looked back up at Alec again, the other man had stepped even closer and Magnus felt his heart begin to race as he watched Alec’s eyes flicker down to his lips. 

“Would it be too much if I asked for a kiss?” Alec whispered. “Or is this too soon? I don’t really have a frame of reference to work with.”

Magnus chuckled softly and wrapped a hand around the back of Alec’s neck and pulled him down, closing the distance between them. It was just a press of lips at first, but then one of them went back for more. 

One of Alec’s arms wrapped around Magnus’ waist and pulled him closer, making Magnus gasp softly into the kiss. It felt nice to be kissing someone again, and Alec’s lips against his felt right. 

When the kiss ended, Magnus pouted as Alec pulled away, prompting a laugh from him. “Can I confess something?” Alec asked. He waited for Magnus to nod before continuing. “I’ve been thinking what it would be like to kiss you for awhile now.”

A smile spread across Magnus’ face. “And now that you have kissed me?”

“I want to do more of it,” Alec answered, touching Magnus’ cheek. His eyes flickered back down to Magnus’ lips and Magnus wanted nothing more than for Alec to kiss him again. “But we were playing a game.”

“We were, and you were losing if I recall,” Magnus said, not wanting to move away from Alec. “Did you want to continue?”

“Yes, but I feel like I’m going to be even more distracted now that I know what kissing you feels like.”

“You don’t have to buy me a drink when you lose, I’ll take that back.”

“Win or lose, I would happily buy you a drink, Magnus,” Alec said, pressing his lips to Magnus’ once more. “You should finish your turn.”

And if Alec noticed that Magnus purposely missed the next shot, he didn’t say anything.

After one more game won by Magnus, they walked back to a table. “You’re really good at pool.”

“My friend Ragnor, he had a pool table in his house that I used to play with all the time.”

“Ragnor? As in Ragnor Fell? The famous author?”

Magnus nodded. “That’s the one.”

Alec stared at Magnus in shock for several seconds before smiling. “My sister has been obsessed with his books for years. She even got the rest of us into reading them.”

“He happens to be in town this week, and if you want, I could get you an autograph.”

“Oh no, you don’t have to do that,” Alec replied. “I just–it’s so cool that you know someone so famous.”

Magnus chuckled. “I’ve never really thought of him as famous, he’s always just been Ragnor to me,” He said. “He’s actually more like a father figure to me. My parents died when I was a kid, and afterwards Ragnor took me in.”

“Is that why you chose to adopt later on?”

Magnus nodded. “I think it’s part of the reason, yes. What about you? What made you decide to adopt?”

“I think I had decided that just because I wouldn’t allow myself the luxury of coming out, didn’t mean that I should deny myself becoming a dad,” Alec answered. “Honestly, while I wanted children, I wasn’t planning on adopting just yet. I had met Madzie because of a case my parents had taken on. Mother was gone, no one knew who the dad was, and the only known relative was a grandmother unfit to keep custody of her, no matter how much she loved her. Madzie wouldn’t talk to anyone until me, so when they couldn’t find any other living relatives, I offered to take her in.”

“I’m glad you didn’t deny yourself, from what I’ve seen you are an amazing father.”

Alec smiled. “Thank you. If it wasn’t for her, I probably wouldn’t have evaluated the rest of my life and changed it. In some ways, we saved each other.”

Magnus placed his hand over Alec’s. “Perhaps that’s why it took us so long to meet. You weren’t ready yet.”

“No, I wasn’t,” Alec said, intertwining their fingers. “But I am now.”

Magnus smiled and leaned forward, pressing his lips to Alec’s. Alec cupped his face with his free hand and returned the kiss. “So, does this mean we’re going out now?” Alec asked once they parted and Magnus couldn’t help but to chuckle and kiss him again. “I take that as a yes, then?”

“Yes,” Magnus answered. “Yes, we’re going out.”

“I’m sorry. I’m just so new to all this, and I really have no idea what I’m doing,” Alec rambled and Magnus smiled again, finding him absolutely adorable. “I mean, that’s not going to be a problem is it?”

“Alec, every relationship is different, so just because I’m more experienced doesn’t mean this won’t be new for me either,” Magnus said, leaning against him. “Everything is going to be just fine.”

Slowly, Alec smiled before kissing Magnus again. “Okay.”

They spent another hour at the Hunter’s Moon before deciding to end their date. Just before Magnus got into a cab, Alec asked, “Will Raphael be around next weekend?”

Magnus nodded. “Yes, I believe so.”

“Would you like to do dinner then?”

Magnus smiled. “I’ll talk to him about it when he gets home and let you know.”

“Okay, great. Goodbye, Magnus.”

“Goodbye, Alexander.”

————

A few days later, as Magnus and Raphael were sitting down for breakfast, Magnus brought up the dinner. “Alec would like to meet you.”

“He does?”

Magnus nodded. “Yes, this Saturday in fact.”

“Oh.”

“Did you have plans?”

Raphael was silent for a moment before saying, “Simon and I were going to see a movie.”

“Okay. You can go on your date,” Magnus said. “He wants to bring Madzie over for dinner so we can all get to know each other better so it wouldn’t be until six or seven anyways. And when did you finally ask the boy out?”

“It’s not a date, Magnus,” Raphael said. “We’re just two friends going to see a movie we’re both interested in.”

“When is the movie?”

“In the early afternoon, so I should be home by dinnertime. So, this thing with Alec, it must be serious if he wants to meet me.”

Magnus smiled. “It is. I really like him.”

“Well, I’m happy for you,” Raphael said. “You deserve to be happy.”

“As do you,” Magnus said, picking up his empty plate and walking towards the kitchen. “Ask that boy out on a real date, Raphael.”

—————

Magnus spent most of Saturday tidying up his apartment. Normally, he just threw things wherever and didn’t care if someone saw the mess, but with how nervous he felt about having Alec and Madzie over for the first time, he needed to have something to keep the dinner off his mind. 

He made sure his alcohol was taken out of the front room, and even gone out to buy some coloring books and crayons for Madzie. He spent the last hour before they were due to arrive just pacing around his front room.

“If you keep doing that, you’re going to ruin the rugs,” Raphael said, trying to hide his amusement. 

Magnus sighed and collapsed on the couch opposite Raphael. “I’m just nervous. Not a lot of people have made it to this step, most people end things the minute I even mention you.”

“Well, he hasn’t run off yet, so it looks like a good start.”

Magnus waved his hand. “I need to think about something else–how was your date?”

Raphael sat there silent for a long moment before saying, “Eye opening.”

“Oh?”

Raphael nodded. “I didn’t ask him out, but we did talk.”

“And?”

“Well, he had asked me if I was interested in him and I confessed the only thing holding me back was the sex aspect.”

“Okay, and what did he say?”

“He told me he didn’t care if we never had sex, he just wanted to be my boyfriend.”

Magnus couldn’t help but to smile and he got up to sit next to Raphael, giving him a hug. “See? I told you it would work out if you talked to him.”

“I didn’t say he was my boyfriend, Magnus.”

“Is he your boyfriend, Raphael?”

“We’re going to go on a few dates first,” Raphael answered. “To test if it’ll work between us.”

Magnus smiled again, hugging tighter. “I’m proud of you, Raphael.”

Raphael returned the embrace and leaned against Magnus. “Thank you.”

They were interrupted a moment later when the doorbell rang. Magnus pulled back, still smiling at Raphael and patted his shoulder. “Everything will work out in the end. I know that it will.”

“Are you actually saying that to me or you?”

Magnus laughed and stood up, moving towards the door. “Both, I think.”

Magnus opened the door, smiling at Alec and Madzie, feeling his heart beat just a little faster as Alec returned the smile. He stepped aside to let them inside. “Alexander, Madzie, welcome to my home.”

They walked inside and Alec looked around in amazement. “Wow.”

“He likes to redesign the place anytime he’s bored,” Raphael interjected and Magnus looked over his shoulder to see Raphael had gotten up and made his way over. “I told him he should get into interior design.” He held his hand out towards Alec. “You must be Alec, I’m Raphael.”

Alec took his hand and shook it. “Nice to finally meet you. Magnus talks about you all the time. And this is my girl Madzie.”

Raphael got down to Madzie’s level and smiled at her. “Hi.”

Madzie immediately hid behind Alec’s legs. “I’m sorry, she’s a little shy. Madzie, this is Magnus’ son Raphael. Remember I said we were going to meet him tonight?”

Madzie looked around to look at Raphael who smiled at her again. After a moment, she held her hand out and Raphael shook it. “It’s nice to meet you, Madzie.”

“You know, I just bought some coloring books for you, Madzie,” Magnus said and the little girl looked up at him.

“You got me coloring books?” Magnus nodded and Madzie looked up at Alec. “Can I go color?”

“Of course you can,” Alec said and Madzie cheered. 

“They’re in the front room,” Magnus said. “Raphael can show you while I go over dinner with Alec okay?”

“Okay,” Madzie said, eyeing Raphael again. Raphael just smiled and held his hand out, and Madzie took it, letting him lead her towards the front room.

“You really didn’t have to get her coloring books,” Alec said as he watched Madzie sit by the coffee table and open up a Batman coloring book. 

“I wanted to,” Magnus said, reaching out and taking Alec’s hand, pulling him closer. Alec turned towards him and leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to Magnus’ lips. Magnus returned the kiss before pulling away. “So, I couldn’t figure out what to cook, so I thought maybe we could order something in tonight?”

“What did you have in mind?”

“I thought pizza would be good, or anything you had in mind maybe?”

“Madzie is a bit of a picky eater but she loves pizza,” Alec said. “So I’m good with pizza.”

“I have some menus in the kitchen if you want to help me pick some out?”

“Sounds good.”

Magnus looked towards the front room where Madzie had roped Raphael into coloring with her and smiled. “Raphael, we’re going to order pizza. Anything special you want?”

“Anything with meat is good with me.”

“And what about you, Madzie?” Magnus asked. “What do you like on pizza?”

“I like cheese and pepperoni and mushrooms!”

Magnus chuckled softly. “Alright, I’ll make sure to get one with all that on it.”

“Really?! Thank you, Magnus.”

“Of course, Madzie,” Magnus said. “We’re going to order the pizza. Be back in a minute.”

“You really do have a nice place, Magnus,” Alec said as they walked into the kitchen. “It’s really beautiful.”

“Thank you,” Magnus replied, grabbing out some takeout menus and shuffling them around until he found the ones for pizza. “I’ve actually been considering going into interior design, especially with how often I change my place.”

“So Raphael wasn’t joking about that, then?”

Magnus shook his head and laid the menus down in front of Alec. “I’ve owned a lot of businesses over the years, but I want to try something new.”

“What about your club?”

“Oh I would keep it,” Magnus replied. “I love my club. I wanted a place for people like us to have a safe place to go out and be themselves without worry. While Ragnor and my friends were always okay with me being bisexual, I never really had a place that felt safe for me. It’s also why I have my club open during the day three days a week, to give teens a safe place to be themselves, and be with other people like them, to know that they’re not alone.”

“I wish I had known of a place like that when I was growing up, I uh–I really didn’t like myself. I even went as far as asking one of my friends to be my fake girlfriend for a few years so my parents didn’t grow suspicious. Never kissed her though. I couldn’t even stomach the thought of trying to do that, no matter how much I wanted my parents to believe I was straight. If someone had told me back then that I would be out and proud one day, I would have never believed them.”

Magnus reached out and took Alec’s hands, pulling him close. “I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

“It’s okay. Anytime I start to dwell on it, I remember that I’m happier now,” Alec said. “Can I ask about your coming out?”

“When I told Ragnor, he just patted me on the back and told me he already knew,” Magnus replied with a soft smile. “He had always been very, very supportive of me.”

“Even though I never came out to my brothers and sister, they always knew and they still loved me. I’m glad that I had them growing up.”

Magnus smiled and wrapped his arms around Alec. “Even the smallest amount of support can be enough for someone.” Alec nodded in agreement and leaned down to kiss Magnus, returning the embrace.

Once they got the pizza ordered, they came back out into the front room where Madzie had one of Magnus’ nail polish bottles and was painting Raphael’s nails, though more of the polish was ending up on his skin than his nails. 

Magnus began to laugh at the sight and Alec joined in. Raphael looked up from his phone where he had been videoing. “And here I thought you didn’t like wearing nail polish.”

“She can be pretty convincing,” Raphael said and looked up at Alec. 

“You know, I could use a change of color,” Magnus said. “Madzie, would you like to paint mine next?”

“Are you sure? She can get a little messy with nail polish.”

Magnus just smiled and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “It’s fine. I can get it cleaned out later, or maybe it will just add a little extra flair.”

Magnus removed his nail polish and once Madzie was finished with Raphael’s, he had her pick a new color from his collection. “I like this one!” Madzie had exclaimed, picking out a sparkly, metallic purple. “Can I paint your nails this color?”

Magnus nodded. “You may.”

The pizza came as Madize was working on Magnus’ right hand, and Magnus frowned, looking at Raphael. “Raph, will you get my wallet and pay for that.”

“I can get it,” Alec said, standing up.

“Nonsense, you’re guests here.”

Alec shrugged. “It’s no problem.”

“Alright,” Magnus said. “My wallet is by the door, at least let me pay the tip?”

“How much?”

“Whatever you think is fair,” Magnus replied. “And then add three dollars.”

Alec nodded and Magnus watched him walk towards the door before looking down at Madzie. There was nail polish all over the tips of his fingers and some had splashed on his pants, but Magnus just smiled. “You’re doing a great job, sweetpea.”

“Thank you,” she said, beaming up at him. “Can I have your other hand please?”

Magnus held out his other hand and caught sight of Raphael smiling. He looked up at him. “What?”

“I like this one,” Raphael said, nodding towards Alec. “I think he’s a good match for you.”

“You really think so?”

Raphael nodded. “I do.”

Magnus watched Alec as he walked back towards the front room and smiled. “I really like this one too.”


End file.
